“I’m glad we could reach an understanding.” She winced and reached for her head.
Jason raised an eyebrow. He turned his attention to Aly. “Are you okay?”
She nodded weakly, but her face was as white as a ghost.
The woman stepped closer to Jason while keeping her gun trained on her captured trio. “Enough talk. Let’s do the exchange.”
“I—”
“She won’t let you go,” Kione said, cutting Jason off. “She plans to do the transfer and destroy the Argo when they detach.”
“How—” The woman rubbed the bridge of her nose in pain, and blood spilled out from one of her nostrils.
Jason put a hand on Kione’s shoulder. “You’re reading her mind?”
“Somehow, Whitlowe awakened my abilities. Not that he knew it. I made him believe he’d failed, so he’d think I was worthless to him.”
“You went through all that pain for—”
Kione nodded.
The woman grabbed at her nose again, but more blood seeped out.
“Her name’s Jennifer Costas,” Kione continued. “She’s a former fighter of the Centauri Rebellion and a member of a new underground. Their aim is their planet’s independence and Earth’s annihilation. They want me, hoping to create a super soldier.”
“Seems you’re a man in demand, Kione.”
Costas’s legs wobbled beneath her. Whatever Kione was doing wasn’t part of the plan, but Jason figured he could use all the help he could get.
He brought his commband close to his face. “Do it, Doctor.”
From the airlock, there was a clang followed by a clunk. The two vessels parted from each other, and Costas spun around. Her eyes were like daggers. “What have you done!”
“You started this game, Miss Costas.” Jason smirked. “I was never going to let you just stroll in here and take Kione. His days of rotting in basements are over.”
She raised her weapon at him. “What do you think you’re playing at? Your ship is no match for mine.”
*
Susan buckled herself in at the helm and watched the stars drift as Jason broke the seal to the Centauri ship. She only had mere seconds to do what Jason had asked.
She rotated the Argo toward the ominous Centauri ship and punched the thrusters, slamming the Argo into reverse. With a flick of her wrist, she activated the trans-space actuator.
She glanced at Marissa who’d taken a seat at the operations station. “I hope this works.”
The Centauri ship altered course and came after them. Come on.
Susan double-checked her console, confirming she’d switched on the actuator. Then a majestic light show of swirling reds and purples appeared in all its splendor between the two ships. It grew from the size of a dinner plate to the size of a fleet cruiser.
The Centauri ship veered sharply to port and fought against the harsh forces of the trans-space anomaly. But their fight was in vain. It tumbled from its axis and got pulled in, disappearing as if it hadn’t even been there.
Susan brought the Argo to a standstill and corrected its course. She pressed in the intercom. “Tai to Cassidy. Mission accomplished up here.”
*
“Thank you, Doctor. Good work.”
Jason deactivated his commband and smirked at Costas. “Seems your ship’s gone.”
She tightened her grip on her rifle. “What did you do with it?”
He shrugged. “It’s somewhere out near Pluto, I think. I can’t remember exactly.”
Her gaze darted around the cargo bay.
“Now would be a good time to put your gun down,” he suggested.
Costas smiled. Though it was one of uneasiness. “You fought us during the war, Cassidy. You know we don’t give up.”
“I also recall your leaders were so consumed by hate to achieve their goals they lost their humanity in the process. It not only brought them down but killed millions of your people. It put your cause behind for decades.”
“You Earth types are so naïve. We do what we have to for our sovereignty. The commonwealth will never let us be truly independent. If we don’t take it…” She trained her gun on Kione. “And if we can’t have the secret to Kione’s DNA, then neither can you.”
Jason pulled his sidearm upward to beat her trigger finger, but instead she collapsed to the deck, and her rifle dropped to her feet. She screamed out in distress, grabbing at her head.
Althaus hurried to her and kicked her weapon aside, while she curled up into a ball and fell silent.
Kevin kneeled down and took her pulse. He raised his eyebrows. “She’s dead.”
Kione’s mouth quivered like an innocent three-year-old who’d stomped on an ant hill. “I didn’t mean to kill her.”
Jason went to say something, but Tai cut him off over the intercom.
“I hope you’ve got everything under control down there. Because we have company.”
*
Waiting for them on the bridge was the image of the UECS Sabre fast approaching. Jason chuckled ironically, knowing in his heart of hearts it’d be Captain Shila sent to bring him in.
Althaus proceeded to the systems station while Kevin and Kione tended to Aly at the rear of the bridge, placing a medi-sealer over her hand.
“They’re opening a commlink,” Althaus said.
Jason sat in the captain’s chair, next to Marissa who stood at his side. “Let’s hear it.”
“Commander Cassidy.” Shila’s voice echoed through the speakers.
“Captain. I should’ve realized being so close to Earth we’d have the CDF near at hand.”
“Cassidy, you’ve done what you came here to do. Under direct orders from CDF command—”
“You want Kione and you’re here to arrest me.”
There was silence on the other end.
“Kione isn’t going anywhere,” he said to her.
“Think about this, Commander.”
“I have, Captain. I know my career in the service is over.” He glanced at Kione and Aly. “I can live with that. I want to thank you for believing in me and giving me a second chance. Now I have to do what’s right.”
He nodded toward the helm. “Do it, Doctor.”
Tai ran her hands over the controls, and another trans-space vortex appeared. “Everyone, buckle up.”
Jason took a deep breath. “Take us in.”
Chapter 17
March 18, 2209
Tokyo Institute of Advanced Sciences – Tokyo, Earth
Five Years Earlier
After the last few years of flying about in a tin can while torpedoes detonated around her, Susan was looking forward to a change of pace. The Tokyo Institute of Advanced Sciences would be a welcome adjustment from the meatball surgery she’d become accustomed to during the war.
Though through all the smiling, the thought of returning to her new apartment and expecting her divorce papers arriving from her lawyers left a bittersweet taste in her mouth.
“Doctor Tai?”
She turned, and a gentleman in a lab coat walked up to her. “I’m Doctor Brendan O’Malley.”
“My right-hand man?”
He smiled and shook her hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Doctor.”
“Likewise.”
“Are you ready?”
She’d nodded, and he led her to the elevator, and they dropped through the heart of the building.
“Welcome to the Green Level, Doctor.” O’Malley ushered her out into the corridor.
Throughout were several laboratories, filled with all the equipment she could dream of.
She had to pinch herself at how lucky she’d been to be selected for the role. Her peers had said to her when she’d taken up duty in the CDF how crazy she was to give up on her studies, but years later it was all paying off.
They walked down a short flight of stairs and entered the habitat level. If Susan wasn’t surprised at what she’d seen before, she was now.
An old-style house sat upon what s
eemed like a beautiful manicured green lawn. There sitting on the steps out the front was Kione.
Susan rubbed her sweaty palms together. She’d read everything about him. Studied everything there was to know. But to meet him in the flesh was a whole different thing entirely. He was so vastly unlike them, yet at the same time so similar.
“Kione, I’d like to introduce you to Doctor Susan Tai. She’ll be heading up the program,” O’Malley said.
The tall, gangly alien stood. “You’re replacing Doctor Tyrell?”
She took his hand and shook it. The scaly sensation was unusual but strangely calming. “That’s right. It’s nice to meet you, Kione.”
He was nervous. Susan was glad she wasn’t the only one. She hadn’t been filled in with the story behind Doctor Tyrell’s departure, but she understood how disconcerted Kione must feel with someone else taking his place after so many years.
“I want you to understand, Kione, no matter what happens here, I’ll always put your interests first above all else. You have nothing to fear from me.”
He smiled and ushered her toward his home. “Please, come inside.”
*
Cargo Ship Argo
Present Day
Jason opened his eyes and flinched at the darkness surrounding him. He tried to move but couldn’t budge. Where in the hell…?
He tugged at his harness locking him in place and immediately remembered where he was. He pulled at the buckles and released himself from the captain’s chair.
“Mister Cassidy?”
Out of the night, Kione appeared like a stalker from an old horror movie.
Jason gingerly staggered toward the rear of the bridge where the alien approached. “I think it’s time you started calling me Jason. We’ve been through too much together for all these formalities.”
“Very well. Jason it is.”
“How long have you been awake?” he asked.
“Only a few minutes.”
Around the bridge, Doctor Tai and Marissa were the next to regain consciousness. Kevin, Althaus, and Aly soon followed. With Kione’s help, Jason activated the lighting and main power systems while everyone else came to their senses.
Kevin approached Jason at the systems station. “Thanks for coming to get us.”
“You would’ve done the same for me.”
Kevin smiled and slapped him on the back.
“The question is,” Althaus said. “Where are we?”
Jason walked to the front of the bridge and looked over his crew.
“When I was figuring out a plan to rescue you, I had to come up with a quick getaway. With Professor Petit’s help, I managed to get hold of his trans-space actuator. Doctor Tai and I thought we’d kill two birds with one stone.”
Behind him, as if on cue, a star appeared through the viewport in all its glory.
“I set a course for the Horizon Cluster. We’re here to bring Tyler and Captain Marquez home.”
The Frontier’s Reach series continues with Book 7 – In Death’s Shadow
Author’s Notes
We come to the end of another installment of the Frontier’s Reach series following Jason Cassidy and the crew of the Argo. Thank you for coming along for the ride. As always, I hope you enjoyed it. With our beloved cargo ship now finding itself at the other side a trans-space corridor, we say goodbye to the major arc centering on Earth.
We’re now at the halfway point of the series and the next book, In Death’s Shadow, will kick off in another direction as our intrepid travelers begin their search for Tyler Cassidy and Nicolas Marquez. What will Jason and the rest of the crew find out in the deepest of space so far from home?
My work as a writer continues as I draft the ninth book of the series along with putting together the plans for the final installments. It’s an exciting time as I look to close all the loose ends to give you a satisfying ending to this adventure.
Thank you all for the feedback I’ve been getting via email and the reviews that have been popping up at Amazon. And while I would write these stories regardless, it makes the writing process that much more worthwhile when I see fans taking the time to write such nice messages of support. It’s very much appreciated.
To keep up to date, please sign up to my mailing list where you can find out everything Frontier’s Reach related before anyone else.
Until next time…
Robert C. James
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Table of Contents
Welcome
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Author’s Notes
Connect with the Author
The Call of Destiny Page 8
